Tuen Mun Road
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Tuen Mun Road (屯門公路) is a major expressway in Hong Kong which connects Tuen Mun in the New Territories with Tsuen Wan. It is part of Hong Kong's Route 9, which circumnavigates the New Territories. Built in 1977, it was once the major trunk route linking the northwest New Territories to urban Kowloon and is known for its frequent traffic jams and road accidents owing to its early design and heavy usage.
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[edit] Alignment
The highway leads off Yuen Long Highway at Lam Tei Interchange, where it also interchanges with Castle Peak Road and Tsing Lun Road. The next section is a dual 3 lane road through the town centre of Tuen Mun.
Expressway regulations apply from the junction with Wong Chu Road, where it widens to 3 lanes and climbs the hillside beside Sam Shing Hui. It then descends into So Kwun Wat, crossing the rural area on an embankment. The road then rises again before descending into Siu Lam Interchange, where it interchanges with Castle Peak Road.
From here, the highway crosses the mouth of Tai Lam Chung, and starts climbing the hillsides of Tai Lam through split level terraces (the lower one being the Tuen Mun bound carriageway). The two carriageways join before bypassing the village of Tsing Lung Tau to the north. This section of road is constructed upon various deep cuttings and high embankments. Afterwards, the road crosses over the village of Sham Tseng (situated in a valley) to Sham Tseng Interchange, where it interchanges once again with Castle Peak Road.
The road then climbs towards Ting Kau Interchange with its widest section (5+3 lanes). After this junction with Tsing Long Highway, the Highway crosses the valley of Ting Kau with various viaducts, with the Tsuen Wan bound carriageway climbing to meet the split level section into Tsuen Wan. This section is characterised by its tight bends and steep descent eastbound. The two carriageways join as the highway terminates and leads into Tsuen Wan Road, with slip roads connecting with Castle Peak Road in Tsuen Wan.
[edit] History and development
Tuen Mun Road was one of Hong Kong's first high speed roads, and first to be of restricted access. Its construction proved to be a great challenge for the engineers. The road had to be built along the winding coastline, and the steep terrain encountered required the construction of numerous viaducts, culverts and cuttings. To save construction costs, the road was built with narrow carriageways and substandard geometry, causing frequent traffic accidents and subsequent congestion for a long period. Another such measure was putting the construction work into phases.
Phase 1 of the road was built in 1977, being the present day Tsuen Wan bound carriageway. Phase 2, which consists of the Tuen Mun bound carrriageway between Sham Tseng and Tsuen Wan, was opened in 1981; the remaining Tuen Mun Bound carriageway was completed in 1983.
Since the road was opened, there have been various improvements carried out to meet the increasing traffic demand, such as the addition of uphill crawler lanes (Tsuen Wan Bound) at Sam Shing Hui, So Kwun Wat, Tai Lam Chung and Ting Kau. The Highways Department has plans to carry out extensive reconstruction works on Tuen Mun Road that will include widening traffic lanes, improving horizontal curvatures and sightlines, and the installation of noise barriers. It is aniticpated that these works will commence from mid 2007 and will take around 5 to 6 years to complete.
Tuen Mun Road remains one of the most heavily used roads in Hong Kong, as some drivers heading to Yuen Long avoid using the Tai Lam Tunnel (which collects tolls), and container trucks use it to access the River Trade Terminal in Tuen Mun.
[edit] Bus accident near Ting Kau
On the morning of 10 July, 2003, the Neoplan Centroliner involved was running on route 265M of KMB towards Tin Shui Wai. A lorry running in the middle lane lost control as the bus approached the junction with Tsing Long Highway. The two vehicles collided, knocking the bus towards the side of the bridge. The bus broke through the parapet, and plunged into Ting Kau Village 35m below, resulting in the death of 21 (including the driver) and 20 injured. The bus was also written off.
The lorry driver involved sentenced to 18 months in jail after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. It is the most serious road accident in Hong Kong history.
He later on appealed against the rulings, which were subsequently overturned. He was then found guilty of careless driving and his sentence was shortened to 6 months.
